Venture Expands Tour Offerings to Greenwich Village

New York, NY, July 19, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The world has long been captivated by the bohemian spirit of Greenwich Village. The Village has always encouraged creative minds and promoted free expression. It has been home to visionaries such as Edward Hopper, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jack Kerouac, Willa Cather and others. Classic bands like the Velvet Underground, Social Distortion and the Beastie Boys all had their start here. Tourists and New York locals alike flock to this historical and cultural epicenter for its unconventional charm and warm community.

Travel concierge Venture is excited to partner with tour company Save the Village, offering exclusive rates on a new series of tour offerings, which highlight the history and vibrant personality of Greenwich Village. The first tour to be offered is the Save the Village tour, during which walkers can see with their own eyes where history unfolded in front of the lens of Fred W. McDarrah, the original photographer of the Village Voice.

Tim McDarrah, son of Fred W. McDarrah, is known to lead tour groups on occasion. Tim is a brilliant and humorous guide, knowing the details behind every side street and the backstory of every nondescript brownstone. He tells walkers that there are hundreds of tours marching people through the Village and showing them where Friends was filmed or where Sarah Jessica Parker likes to buy cupcakes, but those things don't really interest him.

What really interests him, he says, is saving the Village. He poses the question: if the Village were torn down landmark by landmark, why would anyone return? In a time where foster homes are bought up to house rich men's families, plans for skyscrapers threaten to cast shadows over historic parks, and real estate moguls threaten to drive highways through cultural landmarks, Villagers have raised their voice in protest. This is the same spirit captured by the Village Voice during the gay liberation movement.

The Voice was launched by two male students in 1955, who would brainstorm together from their 2-bedroom apartment. The boys lived in a post-war, counter-culture society where written word was king. They were puzzled as to why there were no news publications covering the rapidly changing cultural landscape of the time, so they set out to cover it on their own. "They had a lot of brains but they had no money," laughed Tim. With some help in funding from Norman Mailer, the boys produced the Voice and brought their neighbor Fred W. McDarrah on board, who grudgingly agreed to join their staff on the condition that he would never be asked to wear a suit.

McDarrah captured all of the budding social movements of the time, and every revolutionary artist, musician and writer - including Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan. Dylan, despite being reclusive later in life, chased McDarrah down to get his photo taken for The Voice, as the publication had that much of a cultural impact at the time.

The tour includes a stop at The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run gay bar that was the site of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which spurred the gay liberation movement. On June 24, 2016, the area around the Stonewall Inn was named the first LGBT U.S. National Monument and national park site. The tour also makes a stop at Julius', a favorite spot of Alan Cumming and the site of the historic "sip-in" protests that challenged the law banning those identifying as LGBT from consuming alcohol.

Other stops include Judson Memorial Church, Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios, the apartment where Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg first met, the former residences of Dustin Hoffman, E.E. Cummings and Eleanor Roosevelt, along with many other landmarks. Save the Village is a thoughtful look at the Village's colorful and fascinating history, and a must-see for those visiting the city or New Yorkers who simply want to learn the stories behind their home. Call Venture today at (212) 520-2943 to receive the best available rates on this special tour.